BLOG


Remembering Dr Darwin

On 18th April 1802, Erasmus Darwin drew his last breath in Breadsall Priory, just outside Derby. It was supposed to be the new family home, but just weeks after moving in he passed away from a lung infection. In April 2002, the community came together to remember this incredible man. The celebration of the bicentenary…


Discovering the Parkers through Erasmus Darwin

  “Delightful talk! to watch with curious eyes Soft forms of Thought in infant bosoms rife, Plant with nice hand Reflection’s tender root, And teach the young Ideas how to shoot!” (Darwin, 1797, P.1) This is a poem on the front page of ‘A Plan for the Conduct of Female Education, in Boarding Schools, Private Families,…


A Night to Remember: The London Launch

On January 25th 1999, high-profile figures from Mayors to Professors gathered in the City of London Rooms at the Royal Society for an event that shaped the future of Erasmus Darwin House. This event was the London Launch of the Darwin House Appeal, the campaign to raise the funds required to restore and reopen Erasmus…


The Mystery of the Darwin Drawing

For our October ‘Item of the Month’ we will be delving into the mystery behind this drawing of Erasmus Darwin. The drawing was first brought to the attention of Denis Gibbs, a founding member of the Erasmus Darwin Foundation and key figure in the creation of the museum, in November 2006 by a contact at…


An Exciting New Project for Erasmus Darwin House

Welcome to Erasmus Darwin House’s first blog post! Through this blog we look forward to sharing with you the exciting progress and fascinating finds of our new project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is an investigation into the foundations of the museum to mark its 20th anniversary and through it we…